Ever bought a used car? Remember that moment of intense hesitation as the salesman went on about how the car was only driven by an elderly lady on Sundays to church and back? And was that the same car that eventually cost you both arms and one leg to keep it running? What did you […]
Home Inspections
Peace of Mind Part 1: Gain Peace of Mind With Your Home by Addressing These 4 Questions
Is peace of mind a concern when you think of your Strata? (also known as Condos, Home Owners Association {H.O.A.} or Multi-Owner) When it comes to Strata ownership, peace of mind is created by good maintenance, good finances, & harmony in the owners’ community. When it comes to your home & investment, peace of mind […]
Peace of Mind Part 2: What’s the Remaining Useful Life of the Major Systems in Your Home?
That’s quite a topic for a blog these days. We hear of bad news, sad news, and outright mad news, but unfortunately, we don’t hear lots of good news. That’s when each of us needs to dig down deep (the 3 D’s) to find ways we can let the general news tone run past us, missing us in its sweep to […]
Peace of Mind Part 3: What is Strata’s Plan to Prevent Negative Surprises That Can Steal Peace of Mind?
What is your Strata’s plan to prevent negative surprises that will steal peace of mind? Based on our 2 previous posts on this topic, we know we need to understand, as a path towards peace of mind with your home, the true condition of your Strata/Condo. We also have a better idea as to why […]
Water Detectives: Using Technology to Find and Repair Water Ingress Issues
Our ancestors built their shelters to protect themselves from rain or snow. We do the same today, but with far more complex dwellings. We still must protect ourselves from the same enemy: water. A friend of ours renovated his bathroom with new tiles. Two years later the entire wall of his bathroom collapsed suddenly. The […]
Home Inspection: Putting Steroids on This Required Part of Selling Your Home
If you’ve ever bought a new home, then you know the drill. You decide to sell, and the real work begins. 2 huge phases are needed: (1) get your current home ready to put on the market, and (2) get the new home ready once you move in. Within those 2 phases there are 2 […]
Selling Your Strata or Condo: Preparing for the Dreaded Home Inspection
If you’ve ever bought a new home, then you know the drill. You decide to sell, and the real work begins. 2 huge phases are needed: (1) get your current home ready to put on the market, and (2) get the new home ready once you move in. Within those 2 phases there are 2 […]
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! 2022 is finally here, and we all have high hopes for what this year will bring. Of course, high hopes are not what brings change when change is needed. And that’s true in every area of life, including how to address the sticky issues of home ownership, including maintenance, renewal, purchase, repair, […]
Extended Lives: Understand the Expected Life Spans of Each System Component in Your Strata Managed Building
We talk a lot about planned maintenance versus waiting for things to break and enduring the surprise costs to fix. We talk about these two things because such surprises have the potential to totally disrupt a Strata homeowner’s life. Using the roof system of your building as a prime example, the accompanying picture shows the […]
Integrity: Doing the Job Right From the Start
Sadly, Integrity is a word not in common use these days when describing work habits or professional demeanour. Too many companies reward an employee’s ability to get the job done without ever asking how achievements were attained. Many employers don’t really care about the “how” as long as the “done” appears. The ironic thing is […]
